


Familial Obligations

by KittyGems



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Also because I didn't know until I was far in, And lots of love, Cooking Cat is a lady in this, F/M, Fluffy, I've been writing this au for two months now, Prepare for lots and lots of father/daughter, Pure unconditional familial fluff, also a couple ocs here and there but ya know, also snatcher has a human form oOPS, but prepare for some angst here and there, family au, it doesn't appear often so hopefully it won't be too jarring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-02-18 10:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13097811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyGems/pseuds/KittyGems
Summary: Snatcher has been living and ruling in Subcon Forest for many years, stealing souls and commanding his minions. Life has been peaceful, for as much as a soul sucking demon can be at peace. That is until he finds a purple top hat... and a baby.Becoming a very reluctant foster father, he learns something of compassion and... ugh, disgusting, love?An AU where Snatcher finds Hat Kid as a baby and raises her to adulthood. Takes place pre-game, game, and post-game.





	1. Found

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this bad boy for two months. I'm posting quite late due to being busy tomorrow, but I'm sure since this is a small section of A03 ya'll will find it. I've poured a lot into this, and I've also had my discord friends supporting me through this! Also I've thrown in some hcs of mine as well, so sorry if it doesn't fit your hc!   
> Thanks to Mizu for the suggestion of the title! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Snatcher was always a busy man… ghost. Steal someone’s soul, making sure the Subconites are staying on task, keep the well from drying up or being blocked. Ecetera. 

Leaves were softly drifting down from the trees, being a particularly lukewarm day. Snatcher was patrolling the Subcon, making sure those pesky fire spirits weren’t doing that stupid bonfire dance. Or there were any intruders; dealing with intruders was always his favorite. Taking souls was a fun hobby to him. As well as a delectable snack, depending on his mood. 

He senses something alive nearby, but non-moving. Leaves rustled, some crunching underfoot far off. A menacing smirk grew on his face; looks like a new victim had happened to wander into his forest. It would be a matter of time before they tripped up one of his traps!

It was slightly dewy that morning as well, a milky white fog covering the ground. Snatcher always particularly liked these mornings, as it made the atmosphere more tense and creepy. While he did like collecting souls, it did get annoying once in awhile if there was a huge influx of intruders. So he let the forest sometimes do the talking of keeping out unwanted visitors. 

The lifeform was growing nearer as he traveled farther. The soul was still in one place, he found. Were they sitting? Or napping?

Even better. Maybe he could make them sign a contract.

He stopped, a confused frown making his face fall. A purple top hat with a yellow ribbon lay, but according to his intuition this is where the soul was. Was the Subconites pulling a prank on him? That happened more than he liked to admit. 

He slowly picked up the top hat, only to drop it not a second later.

His eyes stared wide, a shocked look on his face. 

A child. No, a  _ baby _ . A breathing, living, definitely-not-dead baby. She didn’t look quite developed, at a glance she didn’t look any older than about a year, maybe less. She had a head full of brown hair, a purple and yellow pacifier in her mouth. She was quite chubby, but then again when was a baby not?

But that meant she was well taken care of. It’s possible her parents left her like this so they could do something else while not putting her in harm’s way. But then again, all she was wearing was a diaper. For a dewy and on the colder side morning like this, he would’ve at least expected a onesie. 

Ah, no matter. Her parents would come back eventually. Being quiet so as to not disturb her, he lied the top hat on her once more. He made sure she could breathe, and left. Hey, for someone evil, he wasn’t one to hurt children. Well… at least not infants. First off, even if he was that heartless it’d be no fun. Second off, well, he always had a hidden soft spot for the tykes. 

* * *

_ CRASH _

Snatcher looked up from his book. He was used to them now, thunderstorms that ravished the forest. It was more on occasion, but they weren’t rare. Heck, he usually uses this to his advantage when he finds an unfortunate soul so he could intimidate them further. He watched as lightning crackled and another thunder clap boomed. 

Suddenly the kid came to mind, and at first he would’ve just shrugged it off. But something just felt so… off. With a sigh, he stood, dog earring the page. Might as well just make sure; it’s not like he could get hurt. 

Rain pelted at his form, not that he really minded. He didn’t often go out in rain storms like these, but they didn’t bother him  _ too _ much. 

Unfortunately for him, the top hat was there. Beyond the claps of thunder, he could hear her crying and wailing. Deep down, he felt pity for the little girl. The claps of thunder made her cry even louder. He stood for a moment, admittedly a little hesitant.

He had no idea how to take care of a child! What if her parents came back? Should he just move her under a bush? But the lightning...

He removed the top hat, sheltering her with his body as he picked her up with his arm. He couldn’t just leave her out here, especially with no other humans in sight. When he  _ did _ find them, however, they weren’t gonna get off so easy. The pity mixed with boiling rage; who would do something so appalling, so  _ abysmal _ to a child?! They could have at least left her with a babysitter or something! 

“Come on, I got you Kid,” He mumbles, making sure she was under his neck. He placed the top hat on his head, and started traveling.

He wasn’t gonna leave her out here alone.


	2. Long Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For more reading material!   
> And now there will only be a chapter once a week.   
> Enjoy!

Once Snatcher reached his tree home, he started making a sort of make-shift bed out of a blanket and his chair. Before they had even reached his home, the rain had calmed to a drizzle. Which Snatcher was thankful for, he didn’t need the river to overflow. 

The child had also fallen asleep on the way. It amused him; it seemed like rain without the show calmed her. It relieved him, but he knew it wouldn’t be long until she cried again. But for more of a hunger or changing reason. The latter of which he dreaded, but who didn’t honestly. 

But he was thinking ahead of himself. He still thought the parents were just doing something in the meanwhile. She must be a child of the mafia or something; there wasn’t really any other humans otherwise. And, well, Snatcher wasn’t a big fan of the mafia.

That might make taking their souls much more fun. Yes, that would amuse him greatly. Of course, he wouldn’t eat the souls. As unfortunate as that revelation was, he couldn’t just kill a kid’s parents. But he would make sure to mess with the next person who trespassed on his property. Ah yes, that suited this situation. And maybe make the kid’s parents sign a contract or two. He did want someone to get rid of that pesky haunted outhouse after all. Or throw some water on those annoying fire spirits.

He settled the kid down into the chair, making sure she wouldn’t fall off. He took off the top hat, placing it in his closet. He then stepped outside, and snapped his fingers. Immediately, a Subconite was at his side. 

“Yeah, boss?” he asked. 

“I found a baby by the river. Since it is still day time outside of the Subcon, I want you to go out and get some supplies.” Snatcher produced a list and gave it to his minion. “After you do, tell the others to keep an eye out for any man or woman missing a daughter. I want this baby out of my forest.” 

The minion cocked his head, most likely in confusion, before nodding. 

“Yes, boss!” The Subconite saluted and skittered off. Snatcher sighed, going back inside his home. The child was still asleep, much to his relief. She actually seemed… quite peaceful, honestly. If it wasn’t for the fact that he could still feel her soul and she was breathing and  occasionally moving, he probably would’ve thought she was dead. 

“You were really tired, huh, kid?” he mutters. Opening the closet once more, he pulled a book out from the closet.  _ Faust _ sprawled out in black letters on the worn spine, some of the pages torn. He sat down on the footrest, opening the book and starting to read from where he left off. Even after reading this many times before he still adored this book. 

He glanced up awhile later, then looked back at his book. Only to take a double take.

The kid was awake. 

Her turquoise eyes stared at him curiously, and for a moment he thought she’d cry. Since she was a little older, he expected her to realize that no, he was  _not_ human. Or anyone familiar, for that matter. But no.

A little giggle escaped her lips, her hands reaching out to his face. Snatcher flinched back the moment her hands touched his face. But that did not deter the toddler. She pushed on her little hands, sitting up. Snatcher was a little surprised, but an amused smile reached him.

“Awake, kiddo?”

She giggled again, babbling behind her pacifier. He had no idea how she could be so calm, happy even to see him. He was scary Snatcher! Stealer of souls!

“Boss! I’m back!” The Subconite called. 

“Leave it by the door.” 

The Subconite did so, and then ran off to tell the others like Snatcher ordered. Snatcher began to stand, only for the kid to try to get off the chair. She slipped off, and with quick reflexes Snatcher caught her under the arms.

“Hey, stay here. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt,” Snatcher huffs. He placed her back down on the chair, and then went over to the bag.  _ ‘It’s a good thing I’ve babysitted before.’ _

A long time ago, of course.

The kid watched with interest, her head tilting as she watched him. Snatcher pulled out a milk carton, pouring some into a sippy cup. 

“I don’t need you dying, and hopefully your parents already switched you to different food, so, are you hungry?” Snatcher asked. The kid reached out her hands, her pacifier slipping. She made little fussy sounds, and Snatcher headed over. Instead of grabbing the cup, however, she instead grabbed at his neck tufts. 

The kid laughed cheerfully, Snatcher wincing. 

“Haha, glad you find this amusing, kid,” He sarcastically remarked. She eventually let go, taking the cup into her hands. He knew he just had to be patient with her, she was just a toddler.

Even if it was annoying. 

She took her pacifier out of her mouth, and began to drink from the cup. Satisfied with this, Snatcher picked his book back up and began to read once more on the foot rest. He glanced back at her once in awhile, seeing her look around the room or drinking from the cup. It was actually quite peaceful.

Until, inevitably, she threw the cup. And, he wasn’t looking at this moment. The cup hit the back of his head, and he sighed.

This was going to be a long job.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter should be out on Christmas!   
> The chapters will get longer as time goes on, I promise that hehe.   
> See ya soon!


	3. Bonding and Bathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy late Christmas present!

For the next couple of days they fell into a sort of routine. The kid, which Snatcher dubbed Hat Kid, would wake up at about nine. He would give her breakfast after changing her, he’d give her something to play around with, after a small lunch he’d put her back to bed. After that he’d have a Subconite watch over her, and he’d go out on patrol. And yes, one weary Mafioso had wandered into his forest.

And yes, he enjoyed making the Mafioso do things for him only to take his soul in the end. He didn’t enjoy Mafioso souls that well, but it was better than nothing. 

He’d also keep an eye out for people with brown hair or turquoise eyes, or both. But unfortunate for him, no one like that wandered in. Only Mafioso and occasionally a bird or two. But he wasn’t going to give up so easily; Snatcher is too stubborn for that. 

After he got home, Hat Kid would be awake by then. She would make fussy noises, and at this point in time he’d either change her or give her dinner, or both. After that he’d read a book and by the time he was done she was fast asleep. 

He’d be lying if he said the kid wasn’t growing on him, but only a little bit. She wasn’t too annoying, though was a tiny bit clingy. She didn’t throw many tantrums and actually usually just watches him read the book or play with a slice of bark Snatcher got for her. She never really cried either, just got really fussy. But if she was gonna stay any longer, he might as well get a crib soon. He was getting a little upset that he couldn’t sit in his favorite chair. 

Of course, he was sure she wasn’t sitting there all the time. He never knows what the Subconite does with her. And since she usually sleeps for an hour or two, and he’s out for longer than that, who knows. 

In the middle of a page turn, he suddenly heard the kid cry out. Last time he checked, she was fast asleep!

He turned back over to her, seeing her moving frantically in her sleep. Without much thought, he pulled her into his arms. Almost immediately, her cries burned down to tiny whimpers. Snatcher pulled himself onto his chair, placing his book in his lap. He sighed, cradling her as he began to read again. Hat Kid moved again before opening her eyes, which were wet with tears. 

“You alright, kiddo?” he asked after a moment of silence. She reached out with her hands, and for a moment he thought she’d pull on his neck tufts again. But she kept waving her arms around, babbling. Snatcher gave a weak smile, going to tuck the blanket more up to her chin. “Come on, go back to sleep. You aren’t supposed to be up at this hour.” He glanced at the clock; three am. He glanced back down. 

He froze, watching as her tiny fingers clasped around his third finger. She went back to sleep after that.

‘ _ Dammit.’ _

He gently started to pull away, but Hat Kid’s grip tightened considerably. Snatcher slouched in his chair, accepting this fate for now. 

_ ‘At least she’s asleep.’ _

His wispy tail relaxed at the side of the chair, and the only sounds were the flipping of pages and the clock chiming. 

He didn’t even realize he fell asleep until he woke up later that day. The book had flipped off his lap in the middle of his doze, the pages half crumpled against the floor. 

Snatcher stood, picking up the book and wiping off invisible dirt. He glared at the crumpled pages before making them straight and closing the book, grumbling. 

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. 

“Kid?!” The book clattered to the floor again. Snatcher quickly stuck his head out of his tree home, looking frantically. The last thing he needed was a child on the loose in his forest!

...Especially with Dwellers and their cherry bombs…

Suddenly the franticness became more apparent as he ducked into a shadow. 

“Did her parents just… take her or something?” the worry in his tone, which was rare for him, was very clear.

Giggling. He knew that giggling. 

Snatcher glared, coming out of the shadow in front of the little girl. Hat Kid was playing in some mud, a mischievous grin on her face. Snatcher facepalmed before bending down to her level.

“First you keep throwing your cup at my head, now you decide to play in the mud,” He growled. The toddler just kept smiling, reaching out with her muddy hands. “Oh no, you aren’t touching me with your dirty hands.” 

He picked her up, going into a line of shadow. After coming out of the other side, he went down his little pond around his home. Making sure the water wasn’t terrible, he settled her down into it.

“Kid, you’re lucky you aren’t an adult,” He huffs, taking off her diaper. She babbles, splashing her hands around in the water as he cleans her to the best of his ability. Soon she’s clean, and he changes her after drying her off. He frowns, realizing he didn’t have suitable clothes for her. “Well, at least the Subconites are out on their own patrol.”

He knew they wouldn’t let him live it down if they caught him sewing. And that is honestly the last thing he needed. 

Picking her back up, he brought her back inside his home. He opened his closet after putting her back down on the red chair, pulling out a sewing kit and cloth. He usually used it for hats, but, he didn’t want the kid to catch a cold. 

This would definitely take a while. 


	4. One Week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post two again, since the other is short. There will probably be times like this in the future, hopefully it won't be often however.

Snatcher carefully pulled a choppy shawl onto Hat Kid, making sure it fit snuggly. It was two days after the bathing incident, and he was admittedly still a little angry over it. But hey, she’s just a toddler. After some needle pricks and screw ups, he had made her clothing. A dark blue shawl that sort of resembled the ponchos his Subconites wore, and a purple onesie. Thank the gods for his convenient book collection of many different subjects.

“There. Now you won’t be cold all the time, aye kid?” Hat Kid babbled, clapping her hands. “Good.”  

He’s also having some of his Subconites build the crib, as he thought of. Nothing extravagant, just something better than the chair. Otherwise, she’d either sleep by herself or be fussy until Snatcher held her in his chair. Sometimes he would fall asleep himself, but not for very long. The routine also stayed the same otherwise, only he also added bathing to the list. 

It had been a little over a week now since he first found her. 

No sign of any relatives at all. But the kid didn’t seem to care, in fact, she was a bit clingy to Snatcher. He wasn’t sure if that was good… or bad. The more she stayed, admittedly the more she had grown on him. Don’t get him wrong, he still wanted her straight out of his forest. But he knew if he just gave up and gave her to an orphanage or whatever, that wouldn’t bode over well. So, through his stubborn persistence, he kept on taking care of her. 

“You gonna be good today, kid?” he asked, and she replied in babble. “Of course. Alright, I’m leaving.”

A Subconite took his place as Snatcher ducked into a shadow, disappearing. The Subconite took out a key ring, giving it to the small girl.  

“You’ve really been softening up Boss considerably,” The Subconite chuckled, sitting down beside her. Hat Kid babbled in reply, a big smile on her face. He shook his head. “Nope, hasn’t stopped stealing souls. But that’s fine, I don’t think he could even if he wanted to.” 

A sly idea reached the Subconite’s mind, and grinned. 

“You know kid, we could plan something in secret together. You’re pretty close to saying your first words, right kid?” 

Hat Kid babbled in reply, shaking the key ring. The keys jangled together, making the Subconite nod. 

“We get you to say something along the lines of papa for your first words, and give Boss the shock of his life! We have a deal?” 

Hat Kid babbled again, laughing as she reached her hands out. 

“Good. Let’s get started, yeah?” 

For the next hour, the Subconite tried to train Hat Kid to say some variation of papa. It came up with nothing, unfortunately. Thus, after he gave her lunch, he let her take her afternoon nap. 

“No sight of her parents or any relatives.” Snatcher came back in, crossing his arms. The Subconite shushed him, pointing to the asleep child. They went outside of the home, the Subconite standing on the sprawling root of the tree.

“Boss, are you sure her parents will come back for her? It’s been over a week. The only people we’ve had are mafia or birds.”

“Who would just abandon a child in  _ my  _ forest at one years old? It’s clear they wanted to keep her if they raised her for a year,” Snatcher replied, clearly frustrated.

“It’s possible they just raised her until they could get rid of her. Mafia aren’t always the friendliest,” The minion pointed out.

“They would’ve dropped her at an orphanage. Not here,” Snatcher deadpanned.

The Subconite scratched the top of his head.

“I’m not sure, Boss.” He shrugged. Snatcher frowned. “Before I go out, the crib should be done by tomorrow. We just need to get a mattress.”

“Good. Now go.” Snatcher waved him off. The minion saluted before wandering off, going back to his usual post. 

Snatcher sighed, heading back inside his home. Hat Kid was now awake, and the moment she saw him she quickly got fussy, holding out her hands. She flexed her fingers, making little noises. Snatcher rolled his eyes and picked her up, sitting down on his chair. 

“Were you good for him?” he asked, picking up his book from nearby boxes. Hat Kid babbled in reply, a big smile on her face. Snatcher nodded, opening his book. “That’s good. I don’t want you being rude to my Subconites.” 

Hat Kid almost seemed to nod, snuggling into his chest. Snatcher huffed, but not wanting to disturb the peace, he went on with reading. This went on for a bit, Hat Kid watching as he turned the pages and read. Once more, the only sounds were the clock chiming and the pages ruffling. Occasionally, a cricket or far away cherry bomb exploding also rang out. 

That’s when he felt it. The thrum of a soul, far away but still in his forest.

“Alright kid, stay here. I’ll be back soon.” Snatcher put her down on the chair, making her fussy. “No, no, don’t. I gotta deal with something. I’ll be back.”

The same Subconite entered as Snatcher ducked into a shadow. Hat Kid whined, her eyes becoming wet again. The minion began to fret, pulling out the keys. 

“It’s alright, kid! The Boss will be back soon, really!” 

But for the first time since the night Snatcher found her, Hat Kid began to cry. Big tears fell down her cheeks as she wailed. 

“Oh come on, Boss…” He groaned, picking her up. He tried soothing her, but she just kept on crying. He tried giving her her pacifier, but that only succeeding in the binky getting dirty from falling on the floor. “It’s alright, it’s alright. He’ll be back.” 

Snatcher, on the other hand, was having a grand ol’ time. A mafia, once again. Pleading for his life, bargaining, etc etc. But of course, Snatcher was having none of it. A contract was signed for the mafioso to clean up the well. And of course, to make sure he did it, Snatcher collected his soul. He “promised” to give it back, but ooh that mafioso would be dead in an instant thanks to a blast. It would make it so much more fun to watch him squirm for a bit, however. 

Soul in hand, he traveled back to his home. Before he could enter, he froze. Hat Kid was crying her heart out, squirming in his minion’s arms. He went inside, and Hat Kid became ten times more fussy as she spotted him. 

“Please take her, Boss. I think she has abandonment issues.”

Snatcher took her into his hands, and quickly her cries died down to little whimpers. 

“She’s fine when I leave midday.”

“She’s used to that. You leaving suddenly meant to her that you were ditching her,” He explained. 

Yikes. That… actually hurt a little, now that he thought about it a bit. No, he wasn’t getting attached to her! Not at all. But he didn’t exactly want to be the reason a baby was crying unless on purpose. Not that he scared tiny children, in any case. At least, not often. 

“She’s all yours, Boss.” The Subconite left. Snatcher sighed heavily, sitting back down in his chair.

“You seriously thought I’d ditch you, kid? Until I find your parents, that isn’t happening.”

And Snatcher wasn’t one for lying to a small child. 


	5. Reading to sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a late update; been busy this week.

Once again it was a couple more days later. Hat Kid now had her own crib, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to stay in Snatcher’s arms. Which annoyed him, to say the least. But, whatever to keep the peace. He didn’t want her crying again. 

Update on the mafioso, yes, he killed him in one strike. And, yes, his soul was satisfying for the time being. 

Today during the afternoon, Snatcher was spending his time searching for clues around the area he found her. He thought that if he possibly found some sort of evidence, it could narrow down the search. It had almost been two weeks now since he found her.

Some sort of luck seemed to be on his side in particular.

“What…?” a black cloth hanged off a branch of a bush, and he pulled it off. It felt like a mix of velvet and some sort of stretchy material. He held it up to his face, analyzing it. He flipped it over in his hand, a white corner sticking out of it. He pulled on it, revealing a slip of paper.

All it read was  _ ‘I’m sorry, little one’ _ .

Sorry?... Sorry?! 

He scowled, the paper and cloth sparking blue. A fire ignited, burning both materials to ash. It then dawned on him.

“I’m sorry.” That wasn’t a promise for a comeback. That wasn’t a promise to bring her home.

That was an apology for leaving her. Meaning, they wouldn’t come back. Meaning…

No, no. That wasn’t true. Must be a coincidence. He didn’t see the material here before. It had to have been planted by some pranksters. 

Snatcher dusted off his hands, glowering. Who would abandon their one year old in a forest like this? If they didn’t want her, they would’ve abandoned her earlier. 

A thrum of a soul again. It had just entered his forest at the east.

Yes, that’s who he’d take his anger and frustration off on.

* * *

“Come on, kid. I know you can do it.”

The Subconite dangled the keys in front of Hat Kid, trying his best to get her to say her first words. Or at the very least, get close to it. But she kept babbling, though was trying her best to say what he was. It made the minion happy; she was trying! 

“It’s easy, kid! ‘Papa’!”

Her babble began to break, and she made sounds that sounded like ‘papa’. Wasn’t quite close, however. But it was better than last week. 

The rustle of leaves announced Snatcher’s presence. 

“I think your papa is back,” The Subconite picked Hat Kid up, the latter of which got a little fussy once she spotted Snatcher. 

“This is getting quite frustrating,” Snatcher groaned, soul in hand.

“Another intruder, Boss?”

“Yes. I took their soul; I have no contracts for now, so I tossed his body into fire.” 

The Subconite nodded, Hat Kid waving her arms around to try to get to Snatcher. The former handed her off to the latter, and she hugged him around the neck. Or, well, at the best she could. Snatcher chuckled softly, a grin making it’s way on the Subconite’s face due to this. 

“I’ll be off, boss!” The minion saluted before leaving. Hat Kid kept on babbling happily, seemingly explaining her day as Snatcher pulled a book out of his closet. 

“That’s good,” Snatcher replied, going along with her babbling. Hat Kid stopped, seeing the top hat. She reached out to it, and Snatcher grabbed it. “I think it’s too big to fit on you. But..” Snatcher placed it on his head, making Hat Kid giggle, elated.  

Snatcher then sat down in his chair, Hat Kid sitting on his lap. He began to read to himself, the clock chiming.

Hat Kid patted at the pages, looking up at him. 

“You… want me to read to you?”

Hat Kid grinned behind her pacifier, and Snatcher sighed.

“Alright. But I dunno how you’ll like it.”

He began to read to her, a bit thankful he had chosen a book a little less dark. But I mean, it was still  _ 1000 Ghost Stories. _ Not quite something you’d read a child for bedtime but Hat Kid didn’t seem to mind it at all. In fact, she seemed happy and even excited to be listening. Snatcher even gets a little into it, wiggling his fingers every time something creepy happened. 

That only made Hat Kid clap happily, snuggling deeper into his chest. Snatcher kept going, up until he had read at least five different stories. Hat Kid was a bit sleepy, but she was still looking at the pages in awe. She might not be able to talk yet, but she enjoyed every word. She was like a puppy who found a rubber ball. 

“Alright, time for dinner and then we’ll get you to bed.” 

Hat Kid whined, wanting to hear more from the book. Snatcher shook his head.

“Maybe one more story before bed. But for now.” He picked her up, setting her down on the chair. He took her pacifier out of her mouth, and went out to the ice patches that grew nearby. 

Soon, after dinner and changing her, he set her down into her crib. Hat Kid got a little fussy, standing at the end of it where his chair was.

“Oh, come on kid. I did promise another story, but you gotta stay in your crib,” Snatcher explained stubbornly. Hat Kid whined, and his eyes softened. “Fine, fine. But you’ll have to go back into it after we’re done.”

He pulled her onto his lap, opening the book again. She leaned back into him again, listening quietly. 

“This one is my favorite. Everyone dies in the end,” Snatcher explained. He then began to read, a tired smile on Hat Kid’s face. Soon, after the story was done, she was fast asleep. He gingerly closed the book, placing it on the nearby boxes. Before he could stand, she had grabbed his finger again. 

“You gotta stop this kid…” He mumbled, gently settling her down into her crib. Hat Kid made a little sound, snuggling into the blanket he provided. Snatcher closed his eyes, turning away from her. He was just caring for her for the sake of caring for her. 

He  _ couldn’t _ get attached. Even if he did, her parents would be back to get her. That note had to be a lie. They had to have loved and cared for her. Those were things he couldn’t really give. He was Snatcher the Soul Stealer. Maker of contracts and basically the next boogeyman. A former shell of what he once was. 

But that nagging feeling never ceased. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about me: I 100% AHIT! Did so yesterday. So satisfying and so heart wrenching. But I have another save to get through :p
> 
> Also yes I know I fall into the past/present tense trap often. It's just hard for me because I type what I think. I hope it's not that distracting, and I promise to try better in future chapters (well, after 14. I have been typing this story for 2-3 months now). But you didn't come off as condescending at all, PT!
> 
> Happy New Years!


	6. Old friends and first words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this one!! This is where the human stuff starts as well, sorry if it’s a little strange or jarring. But its more occasionally than all the time, so hopefully it isn’t too weird!

A couple more days past, and now it was three weeks. Snatcher’s stubbornness was starting to wear off, doubt crossing his mind. Was the Subconite really telling the truth? Would…

Would her parents seriously never return for her?

A frown etched on his face, and his boisterous storytelling faded. Hat Kid looked up at him, frowning. It was almost like she could feel his depressed mood.

“What? I’m alright, kid. Just lost breath. Don’t worry.” He ruffled her hair. Hat Kid closed her eyes, a smile appearing on her face. Snatcher smiled, picking her up. “Alright, it’s time for bed. I said one more story.”

Hat Kid huffed, but let herself be placed down into the crib. She fell asleep not too long after. After summoning a Subconite to watch over her, he went into a shadow. Appearing once more at where he found her, he stared at the spot. The grass was growing there, but if you looked you could see an outline of where the hat once was. A prominent frown was on his face, and he leaned down to get a closer look.

“If they really aren’t coming back…” Snatcher stood tall again, shaking his head. “Two more days.”

Snatcher went into another shadow, and traveled to the edge of his forest. The moon was high in the sky, it’s light illuminating his face more. Using this to his advantage, he stepped out into the light. The moment he did, he had shapeshifted into a form that was similar but not exactly the same as his old human self.

He actually looked quite fancy, for a soul sucking demon. A freshly pressed suit, a lovely face, even with the fangs and bright yellow eyes. His hair was long like his neck tufts, and his skin was a light purple color.

He rarely used this form, however. Only to go into town to buy more books. And well, wouldn’t you have guessed it!

He was in town buying books.

Where did he keep these books, you may wonder. Well, when you have a closet that is basically a void at this point…

Yeah, yeah you get the point he’s a bookworm.

The one time where he didn’t have to worry about intruders or mysteriously disappearing parents. Wasn’t a long time, but it was still quite relaxing.

But he also had a second purpose for tonight. As much as he believed her parents would come back last minute, just in case, he decided to get Hat Kid some books. As much as he enjoyed reading her ghost stories and horror novels, she kinda also needed toddler books. Parenting books wouldn’t hurt either.

“Hello, Luke,” The bookstore owner greeted. He was an old toucan, with tiny circle glasses and a withered yet friendly smile. If there was any people who Snatcher was to refrain to steal the souls from, it was him and his family.

Snatcher nodded in greeting. He used an old nickname, as he didn’t want the old man to be suspicious.

“What brings you here?” he asked, dog earring a book he was reading himself.

“I’m taking care of a child,” Snatcher answered, picking out a book for himself before scanning for more child books.

“A child? Has the ever-so cold Luke become a father?”

Snatcher nearly dropped his book, but his fumbling hands managed to catch it. The old toucan laughed merrily.

“Me? A father? No, no. She’s… the daughter of a friend,” Snatcher lied, pulling out a parenting book.

“Uh-huh. A friend… So, daughter? What’s her name?”

“Hattie.” It was a half lie. He had been calling her Hat Kid this whole time, but he doubted Hat Kid would persuade the old bird that she wasn’t his. Not that she was!

He groaned mentally.

“Hattie? How adorable.”

Snatcher rolled his eyes, pulling out two children’s books. He strolled over to the counter, where the old bird began to scan them.

“How long is she staying with you?”

“Only a couple more days. My friend travels a lot for her job.”

“Is she-”

“No! I’m not seeing anyone right now.”

“Alright, alright. I shouldn’t have pried.”

The bookstore became quiet again, and once it was done Snatcher handed him some pons.

“I’ll see you next week.”

“Yes. And, Luke?”

Snatcher turned his head to him.

“Good luck.”

* * *

When he had gotten back, Hat Kid was awake, the Subconite playing with her. He formed back into his phantom form, books still in hand.

“Welcome home, boss!” The Subconite greeted, picking up Hat Kid.

“Still no sign of the kid’s parents,” Snatcher sighed, placing the books in the closet. Hat Kid babbled, reaching out to him. She must have just woken up, as she wasn’t distraught like she had been. “She’s getting really talkative, huh?”

“Yeah! I think she might say her first words soon!”

Snatcher scoffed, taking her into his arms.

“I doubt it. Also, don’t get too attached to her.”

“Right, boss,” The Subconite chuckled. After he left, Snatcher grabbed one of the toddler books.

“Alright kiddo, time to read you back to sleep,” Snatcher said, sitting down in his chair. Hat Kid lied down in his arms, turning her head to the book’s pictures. He began to read to her, pointing out each animal and kept a gentle voice. Soon enough, Hat Kid was getting sleepy once more.

Snatcher placed the book on the boxes once finished, Hat Kid drifting in and out of sleep.

That’s when it happened.

She reached out her hand, and for a second Snatcher thought she’d just pull on his neck tufts again. But instead, she made a grabbing motion, but grabbed nothing.  
“Pa-Papa!”

It was an immediate reaction, and since he was so used to it, his hand moved to hers. Her little hand gripped his finger again, and before he could think, he already blurted out what he thought.

“Don’t worry, kiddo. Papa will keep you safe from night terrors.”

Hat Kid finally fell asleep, but it had already been done. It took almost a minute for Snatcher to realize what he said.

“Wait, no, I couldn’t have-” He cursed under his breath, his eyes softening. He hated to admit it, but he loved it. When he used to be an actual human, he had wanted to be a dad. Her saying that, to him especially, welled up an emotion inside that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

He pushed it down, standing and putting her into her crib. He tucked her in, watching her from above. His hands gripped the side of the crib, his eyes closing again.

Love.

That’s what he had felt. In these three weeks, she had him. In these last hundred years, he couldn’t believe it. But he knew he couldn’t keep it inside forever. Her parents could still be out there...

Love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hc is that Snatcher’s real name is Lucas lmao. (Haha, his va is named Luke, so long name Lucas). But I mean if I’m proven wrong I’ll gladly go back in and change it!  
> I especially loved writing this chapter for the little bit at the end. Her first word <3


	7. Her Name and Cooking Books

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)

The two days had passed rather quickly, and Snatcher was faced with the reality. 

The kid’s parents were never coming back for her. 

It had been almost a  _ month _ since he had found her. And at this point, if her parents ever returned in the future, they were gonna be punished harshly. But, for now, he kept the mindset that they were never returning. 

“Kid, if your parents aren’t really coming back, then I’m gonna take care of you from here on out. I’m not… caretaker worthy, but I’m gonna try my best.”

Hat Kid babbled in reply, reaching out to his face. He shook his head, though let her touch him. Might as well try to give her some sort of love, even if he hadn’t given any in many years. 

“Also, if you’re really going to stay in my care, I can’t keep on calling you Hat Kid.”

He set her down on the floor, grabbing the parenting book. His hope was heard as he found a section on names. It wasn’t an extensive list, but it was still a nice mix of rare and common names. He started flipping through as Hat Kid explored his home, hoisting herself up on the furniture occasionally.

_ ‘Annabelle? No, that’s a mouth full. Bridgette? No, that was too common.’ _

He looked over at the toddler, who looked back at him. A smile formed behind her pacifier. 

_ ‘Hattie, I told him. Is there any names in here-’ _

“Harriet?”

He had accidentally flipped to the H page, and read the first name. Hat Kid, or should I say Harriet, reacted immediately. Since she was looking at him when he called her that, she titled her head.

Yes, that suited her. It meant “rules the home”, and one of the nicknames given were Hattie. 

Harriet it was.

* * *

 

"Boss, you even named her?”

The Subconite had come for the afternoon shift, and the minion was shocked his leader went that far. 

“I kinda had to. I can’t keep on calling her Hat Kid.”

A grin reached the Subconite’s face, and he innocently put his hands behind his back.

“Boss, if you name something, or in this case a person, you know you get attached, right?”

“I’m not attached! Is it so wrong to give a child a name?”

The Subconite bit back a laugh, taking Harriet into his arms.

“I suppose not. Enjoy your patrol, boss.”

Snatcher huffed, traversing out of his tree home. The Subconite laughed once he was out of earshot, placing the child down on the floor.

“You really have boss caught, don’t you, Hattie?” 

Harriet clapped her hands, babbling. The Subconite shook his head, holding out his hands.

“Now that you have spoken your first word, it’s time to get you walking.” He grabbed her hands into his, helping her stand. She wobbled a bit but stayed upright thanks to his help. “Let’s give your papa another surprise, yeah, kid?” 

Harriet giggled, like she was agreeing. 

* * *

Later that night, Snatcher once again was back in town. But rather, in Mafia Town. Fading into shadow among the wall, he slipped on by the mafiosos. If the mafia weren’t so stupid, they’d probably notice the shadow having outlines of eyes and teeth. But eh, too late for that.

Snatcher jumped up to the rafters of the mafia hangout, popping out of the wall onto the little room. His entrance was quite grandeur, to say the least.

Cooking Cat, or CC if informal, was a quite popular cooking show host. But thanks to his outward sources, he also found she stayed in the mafia hangout in the clouds half the time. The plump tabby cat was cooking away, the air smelling like crawfish. 

“Yes?” her voice drawled, a clear southern accent covering her voice. She turned to him, her green eyes piercing as she skimmed him. “Oh? I’ve never seen you around, and by your unique appearance, I doubt you’re one of those mafia folk.” She pointed out, turning back around to cook the various seafood. 

“You’d be correct, Ms. Cat.”

“CC to you. What do you need?” she asked, mincing some vegetables. 

“Well, I’m in quite the predicament.”

“What for?” 

“I… am taking care of a child long term. Due to this, I need to know how to cook, at least a little bit.”

“Oh? Snatcher, stealer of souls, has a child? Interesting development.”

Snatcher sputtered, and she lifted her knife to silence him, her back still to him.

“Honey, your bright yellow eyes and eloquent tone gave it away. Not to mention your purple skin and sharp fangs. Also, I saw your shadow when you were coming up here.” 

Snatcher grumbled. It wasn’t like he had anything better. This is the human form his eldritch transformation came with. CC laughed, putting down the knife, turning to him once more. 

“As long as you don’t take my soul or make me sign any silly contract, maybe I can help you. How old are they?”

“About a year, give or take.”

“A toddler? Interesting. A he or she?”

“She. Her name is Harriet.”

“Harriet? How cute!” CC grinned. She opened a cabinet. “Since you like reading so much, how about you read this. I’ll be down in Subcon in a couple days.” She shoved a book into his hands. He looked down at it; a cooking book, what a  _ shocker _ . “For now, keep feeding her what you have been. Since you’re suggesting she’s still alive, I’m impressed you know what to give her.”

Snatcher shrugged. CC smiled, turning back to her cooking. 

“For a soul-eating demon, if you’re willing to learn how to cook for a little child, that means you care about her a lot.”

“Well, I kinda have to. It would be rude of me otherwise.”

CC snorted.

“Right. Now go along. I don’t want any of those mafia finding this nook.” 

Snatcher faded back into the wall, sliding along as a shadow once more. CC watched, an interested gleam in her eyes. 

“I wasn’t saying you care in the sense you care because she’s a child…” She hummed to herself. “She could survive off of the fruits and vegetables I’m sure he’s giving her. But the fact he’s willing to learn how to cook… How adorable.” 

CC went back to cooking before the water overboiled. 

* * *

Snatcher reached his home, once again in his phantom form. The Subconite was sitting on the footrest, watching over her.

“Welcome home, boss! I’ll be off,” He greeted, waving. He then left, passing by Snatcher. Snatcher sat down, opening the cook book. 

After a while, his attention turned to Harriet. She was standing in her crib, making little fussy noises.

“Why do you keep on waking up at this time? You know it’s witching hour, right?” he joked. “Oh, this? It’s boring, don’t worry about it.”

She looked at him with her big turquoise eyes, and he sighed. 

“Fine, fine. I’ll read you another story. But only so you can fall asleep.”

He picked her up, settling her down on his lap. She beamed, Snatcher switching out the cooking book for the  _ 1000 Ghost Stories _ collection. She loved it a lot, and it was more of a breeze to read than the silly toddler books. He began to read her a story, once again becoming an entertaining storyteller as he wiggled his fingers and even did a little bit of voice work. 

Soon one story turned to three, and the clock chimed for four o’clock.

“Alright, time for you to sleep.”

She was fighting off sleep, it was quite obvious in her slow blinking and heavy head tilt. He put her back into her crib, where she quickly fell asleep. 

Snatcher then picked up the cooking book again, and began to read it once more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay she finally has a name! Harriet Katherine is her full first and middle name btw. Haha HK. And yes, Cooking Cat is gonna have a recurring role in this fanfic!


	8. Cooking Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to cook!

“Have no fear, Cooking Cat is here!” 

CC annunciated her presence, carrying a dufflebag of supplies. Harriet glanced up from the book Snatcher was reading her, and got a bit shy. The cat laughed, watching as the child buried her face into Snatcher’s chest.

“Oh, ain’t she just a peach!” CC placed the dufflebag down.

“How did you get here?”

“Your subjects seem to know the ins and outs of the forest quite well. Now, turn into your human form so this’ll be easier. After that, use your magic to get a fire going. Chop chop!” She clapped her paws together. Snatcher grumbled, picking up Harriet and placing her on the chair. Harriet looked up at him confused, and watched as he formed into a human. He then got a distance away from his house, pulling some firewood together.

Harriet babbled as CC walked over to her.

“Oh don’t worry, dear. I won’t harm you. In fact,” CC opened her coat, producing a small stuffed cat doll. She handed it to her, Harriet hugging it. “I’m gonna be teaching your guardian how to cook. You promise to be good for his.. Subconite, right?”

The Subconite nodded. CC bowed her head, and then skittered down the long roots. She grabbed her duffel bag on the way, setting it down by the firewood. She pulled out some rods and such. She began to set up a sort of stove, and watched as Snatcher brought in some tinder. 

He lit a fire amongst his fingertips, alighting the flame to the wood and paper.

“There we go. Alright, you read at least most of the cookbook, right?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Good. We’ll make a simple dish to start off. Stirfry!”

As that was happening, Harriet and the Subconite were once again walking. 

“You’re doing great, Hattie,” The Subconite encouraged, helping her walk across the floor. Harriet giggled, stumbling as the Subconite walked backwards. She was still walking quite nicely, however. 

“Make sure the steak is cut small. She doesn’t have a huge grasp on chewing just yet,” CC explained. They now somehow had a table, CC making sure he cut the steak correctly. The huge skillet was hanging above the fire, attached to metal cables. CC was stirring the broth and some other ingredients, making sure Snatcher also watched that. After she was done, she set aside the bowl and went over to the skillet. 

CC put some cooking oil into the skillet, and turned to Snatcher.

“Can you make the fire a medium-high heat? You really gotta invest in a good kitchen…” She mumbled the last part. Snatcher rolled his eyes and did so. “Alright, you finished with the steak?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Good. Add it to the oil. I’ll get on the vegetables, but you’ll have to cook it.”

Soon enough, it was all cooked with little mishap. 

The Subconite picked up Harriet, bringing her down the roots. 

“I’m guessin’ she doesn’t have a high chair?” CC deadpanned. 

“She doesn’t, but in my defense-” Snatcher was cut off.

“Don’t want to hear it. Be thankful this dufflebag is convenient and I had a feeling.”

CC pulled out parts to a high chair and shoved them into his hands. 

“I’ll feed her, you put that together,” CC ordered, grabbing a plate from the dufflebag.

“Why am I the one being bossed around here?” Snatcher grumbled.

“If I must remind you, Mr. Snatcher, I’m the one who is technically in charge right now. Not to mention, I babysit my sister’s kittens when I can. I think I know how to take care of a toddler.” 

CC sat down in front of Harriet and began to feed her. Snatcher began to put the high chair together, still a little miffed. 

“Good job, sweetheart. Your teeth should be growing in more soon. When that happens, you’ll be able to eat more things!” CC turned her head to Snatcher. “Which reminds me. You should probably get her a teething ring or two. Or else she’ll chew through her pacifier.”

“You don’t happen to have one in your bag?” he quipped.

“Honey, I’m a cook, not a magician.” 

CC laughed at his angry expression, turning back to a smiling Harriet. 

“I think you did well, for a beginner chef,” CC complemented, seeing Harriet cheerfully eating each forkful. 

After she was finished eating, Snatcher changed her and put her to bed. Harriet fell asleep quickly after that.

“So, how did you find her? I doubt it was because of a friend.”

Snatcher sighed, transforming back into a phantom. 

“I found her by the river. All I found was a note saying I’m sorry.”

CC frowned, glancing at the little girl.

“How unfortunate. Do you know why her parents would abandon her at her age? It’s quite lucky she came to trust you so easily.”

“I’ve found nothing. Only the note, and this top hat.” Snatcher opened his closet and showed off the top hat. CC furrowed her eyebrows, feeling pity. 

“Poor dear. She must’ve been so afraid at first,” CC exhaled. She looked over at Snatcher, her eyes soft. “As much as I tease you, I’m quite impressed you took her in so quickly. She could’ve died out there if you didn’t find her in time.”

Died out there. That echoed in his mind. 

“If you need someone to look over her if your Subconites are busy, I’ll gladly take the job. I may not have kittens of my own, and honestly I’m fine with that, I still love kids.”

“Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Just no funny business, mister. My soul is delicate and I don’t like signing things.” A humorous gleam was in her eye, even if she was serious about it. Snatcher waved her off.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Well, there is still some leftovers. Can you eat?”

“I choose not to.” 

“Well, tonight you choose to. Let’s see how good you did for ourselves.”

Snatcher rolled his eyes, following her out of the house.

Later in the night, as CC was packing up and Snatcher was finding a place for the high chair, a noise pierced the air. 

Harriet was crying. 

Snatcher was at her side in an instant, picking her up. She kept crying, however, making CC sigh.

“She probably had a night terror. Give me her.” 

Snatcher hesitantly did, and CC sat down on the chair. She began to purr, rubbing Harriet’s cheek with her finger. The vibrations of her purring quickly calmed her down, and Harriet’s cries silenced. 

“A cat’s purring is one of the most calming things in the world,” CC chuckled, still purring as she walked over to her crib. 

“Thanks, for everything,” Snatcher begrudgingly thanked. 

“No need. Helping people is one of my favorite pastimes,” CC joked, gently putting Harriet down into her crib. She tucked her in, sliding the stuffed cat over to her side. “See you later for another lesson.” 

CC then left with the bag, leaving Snatcher to read to himself. Until Harriet inevitably woke up at three, as per usual. 

* * *

A ways away, a floating figure watched with some interest. Mostly, he was heart warmed. He didn’t meddle with affairs most of the time (even if it got lonely), as Snatcher didn’t like him too much. He was proud of him to have gladly taken in a child.

Maybe he could meet her someday, yeah? 

He left the area, smiling.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who was that? You'll have to find out ;)


	9. First Steps and Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little while! Got busy, ya know, the usual stuff.

“I’m here again, Cooking Cat!” CC once more announced her presence. It had been a month since she started helping Snatcher cook. And to everyone’s surprise, for a beginner in the art of culinary, Snatcher was actually really good at it. Though there was some mishaps, for example a tree caught fire and…

Ya know what leave that to your imagination. 

“As per usual light the fire and all. Today for this week I’ll be teaching you how to make fish.”

The Subconite and Harriet, meanwhile, were in the forest. The Subconite was once again teaching Harriet how to walk. 

“You’re really gettin’ it, kid!” The Subconite laughed. Harriet babbled in reply, now not stumbling as much and was actually doing quite well. She couldn’t walk on her own yet, however.

“Hey! Can you tell boss an intruder is heading north? It doesn’t seem he’s heading that way,” Another Subconite asked, walking over to them.

“Yeah. Can you watch Hattie then?”

“Of course.”

The other Subconite dashed towards the fire. Subconite turned to Harriet.

And wouldn’t you know it!

She was uh,  _ not there _ .

“What?! Harriet?!” The Subconite cried, freaking out. Ohh god boss is gonna have his head!

“Kid! Harriet?!” He cried, freaking out. 

Babbling. 

He ran towards the sound, finding Harriet sitting down in front of her sentient cat. Ah, her cat doll was alive now. That’s-

Wait!

“Moonjumper?” the Subconite gasped, seeing the said ghost. Red strings hung from his fingers, and the cat was moving with him like a dance.

“Shh, let her enjoy this,” He hummed, making the cat twirl.

“Moonjumper, if boss saw you with Harriet he’d flip.”

“You’re not going to tell him, are you? I come down from my horizon to visit my niece-”

“Suddenly… she’s your niece?” 

“Well, considering Snatcher and I-”

“Right, right. Fine, I’ll keep my lips shut. But only because you’re making Harriet happy.”

And he was. Harriet was clapping, laughing as she watched her plush dance. Moonjumper smiled, loving to hear her laugh. Harriet reached out, and Moonjumper let the kitty fall into her arms. She hugged it close, and looked up at Moonjumper. 

“Red!” She squealed, standing. 

The Subconite gasped again, watching as Harriet walked,  _ on her own _ , over to Moonjumper. “Red!”

If Moonjumper wasn’t tearing up he was now. 

“Her first steps and boss isn’t here to see it. Oh he’s gonna kill you.”

“It was worth it.” Moonjumper picked her up, a big goofy smile on his face. Harriet laughed, patting at his face.

“Again!” 

Moonjumper once again puppeted the doll, making it dance around her head. Harriet reached out to it as it danced around her, laughing. 

“Boss is coming,” The Subconite warned. Moonjumper put down Harriet, who stood.

“Red?”

“I’ll be back again someday, don’t you worry little one,” Moonjumper reassured, giving her doll back. With a flick of his wrist, he was gone.

“Papa!” Harriet squealed again, seeing Snatcher. He turned to her, confused. That confusion turned to awe as Harriet stumbled over, hugging his ghost tail. 

“She’s…”

“Walking! We’ve finally done it!” Subconite one cheered, clapping. Subconite two just stayed quiet, a grin on his face. 

“She’s walking.” 

If you squinted you could see Snatcher’s sinister smile turn more genuine. 

“Bring her to CC. I’ve got an intruder to deal with. You’re dismissed.” 

Subconite two went off to the village while Subconite one picked Harriet up. Snatcher went into a shadow to spook the new intruder while the Subconite dashed to CC.

“CC! Look!” 

“What is it?” CC turned, watching over the food. The Subconite put her down, and Harriet stumbled over to CC.

“Cat!”

CC smiled wide, picking her up.

“I knew you could do it, sweets!” She tickled her cheek with her fur, making the toddler giggle. “Your dinner's almost ready, so go back inside, ok?”

Harriet babbled in reply, and CC handed her off to the Subconite. 

Moonjumper watched from afar, smiling as he watched her go inside. 

* * *

Before anyone knew it, five years would pass by quite quickly. Harriet was growing into a sweet child, and her clothes made her look like a sort of Subconite. She had a long cloak with black boots, underneath being a purple dress with black stockings.

On her fifth birthday, Snatcher had given her her top hat.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks, dad!”

“It’s Snatcher,” Snatcher huffed. Harriet giggled, putting on the top hat. It slid over her eyes, still being just a tiny bit big. She slid it up, grinning up at her dad. Snatcher rolled his eyes, though a smile was still on his face. 

It was only uphill from here. Sort of. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep! Harriet is now five! And congrats to everyone who thought it was MoonJumper!


	10. When we Met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's where some of Conductor's family comes in!  
> Also Moonjumper and Snatcher are related, and while MJ won't be in the fanfic /that/ much (he's more like a supporting character if I'll be completely honest, sorta like Cooking Cat), the topic will still be touched upon.

“I’m gonna go explore and color, papa!” Harriet called, pulling her hood up. She held her top hat, spinning it in her hands.

“Don’t go too far then,” Snatcher reminded. Harriet grinned, starting to run.

“I won’t!” 

Harriet ran over to a bush, grabbing her stash of crayons and paper. She then ran to her favorite “table”, aka a tree stump by the river. 

She began to draw with a red crayon, humming a jaunty tune. 

“What does dad do again?” she mumbled, squinting her eyes at the paper. “Oh yeah!”

She began to make a crudely drawn contract, writing her own name instead of Snatcher’s in the top. 

“But who would I contract?”

Suddenly, a ball just came crashing out of the sky. It narrowly missed Harriet, who yelped and jumped away. The ball bounced to a stop, landing right on her paper. 

“What’s this?” She picked it up, turning it around in her hands. It had red stripes all around it, and it was a light brown. But that’s only because of dirt, she realized, seeing a white patch. It was also a little worn, but still together. “I’ve never seen a ball like this before…” She grabbed the contract and the red crayon into her hands, pushing them into her cloak’s pocket.

She grabbed her top hat and put it on, walking in the direction the ball came from. Soon, she came close to the edge of the forest. She frowned, stopping. 

“Where’s my ball?” a voice cried nearby. She perked up at that, pushing her top hat up as it slipped down again. She walked in the direction of his voice, and gasped silently. 

A white bird, or well, something like a bird, was searching around in the nearby bushes. From what she could tell, he was wearing a blue and red hat, with a red shirt and blue jeans. He kept scouring in the bushes for what she guessed was the red striped ball she held. She stepped closer, a convenient twig snapping under her foot.

The bird-lizard turned slowly, his hands shaking. He had no eyes, or eyes that couldn’t be seen.

There was a moment of silence, Harriet looking awkwardly as the bird-lizard gaped at her. Then the sound came back as a shriek fell from his lips.

“Don’t take my soul! I’m too young! And my soul doesn’t even taste that good!” He blabbered, falling into the bush, his hat falling off as he scooted away. Harriet gasped, waving her arms. 

“No! No! I’m not gonna take your soul!” She squeaked, stepping closer. He still gave her a terrified look, and she shook her head. “My papa does that stuff! I’m good! See I even found your ball!” 

She produced the ball, and his fearful expression melted away as she took off her hat and pulled down her hood. 

“See? No evil here!” 

He glanced down at the ball before slowly taking it. 

“You found my baseball?”

“That’s what it’s called?”

He gaped at her again, and for a moment she thought he’d scream again. But instead he got up, waving his arms around now.

“You’ve never heard of baseball? It’s one of the bestest games in the world!” He gasped. 

“Games?”

“It’s a sport! I play for the junior league at my school!” 

“Really? That’s so cool!” 

“I know, right?! The name’s Duncan!” He held out his hand, and she took it.

“Harriet! But you can call me Hattie!” 

They shook hands, and Harriet gasped.

“You can be my first contractor!”

“What’s that?”

Harriet ran over to a tree and began to scribble down some more things on her “contract.” She then ran back over and handed it to him with the crayon.

“A contract! To be my friend!” She grinned. Duncan glanced down, reading it over.

_ You are contraktually oblegated to be: _

_ My friend! _

_ Things I will hold hostge: _

_ Your friendship! _

_ Sign here- _

Duncan giggled, but took the red crayon and messily signed the line. 

“Great! Now we’re friends!” Harriet laughed, taking the contract and folding it. “Hey, what’s Dead Bird Studios?” She read off his shirt.

Duncan gasped again.

“It’s only one of the best movie makers out there! My grandpa has a section to himself! He’s a director for movies!”

Harriet clapped. 

“That is so cool! My dad…” Harriet paused, but then started again, “Makes a lot of contracts and he rules over this forest! He’s a meanie on the outside but he’s, um, what did Cat say… soft on the inside!” Harriet grabbed his hat, giving it to him. 

Before Duncan could reply, a shrill Irish voice screamed out his name. 

“DUNCAN HUGH! IF YOU DON’T COME OUT OF THAT FOREST IN THE NEXT FIVE SECONDS I’M COMING IN THERE!” 

“Oh no! That’s my grandma Maeve,” Duncan gulped. 

“Well, come on!” She grabbed his hand, guiding him out. A barn owl stood, steaming, glaring at the child. She wore a large hat, and was dressed quite fancily, with a long dress and little cape. 

“Good! You finally listen!” Maeve scolded, storming over to him. “Oh?”

“Hello, Mrs. Maeve! I helped him get his ball back.”

“Duncan, who is this?” she asked, now more calm and actually had a sweet mother aura about her. 

“I’m Harriet! I’m his friend.”

“Well, nice to meet you Harriet. Maybe I can swing Duncan around again sometime. But anyway.” Maeve glared at her grandson. Harriet let go of Duncan’s hand, and his hand was quickly snatched up by Maeve’s. “Never scare me like that again! You’re such a spanner, if your grandfather was here too he’d have a fit!” 

Harriet smiled weakly, watching as Duncan was pulled away by his grandma. He turned and waved, smiling brightly. Her smile became strong and she waved back.

“Smell ya later, Duncan!”

Harriet dashed back into the forest, elated as she danced around. 

She had finally made a friend outside of her forest! A bird no less! 

She hoped to see him again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the misspellings were intentional.   
> If you couldn't guess, Maeve is the wife of Conductor, and Duncan is one of his grandchildren.


	11. Baseball and Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter!

A couple weeks later, they did in fact meet up again. Harriet ran out of the forest, Duncan calling out her name.

He was holding two gloves and a bat, a couple wiffle balls in a sack. 

“Hey, Hattie!” He called, placing the sack down. Maeve had once again joined them, along with a little girl. She was three from the looks of it, and looked more like a bird. She looked like a snowy owl, with piercing blue eyes but a big smile. She wore a cutesy little pink dress and clung to her grandmother like a lifeline. 

“Hey, Duncan!” Harriet greeted, a big grin on her face. 

“I’m gonna teach you how to play baseball!” Duncan explained, placing down the sack and pulling out a baseball. “My ma has a ton of wiffle balls at home, so she let me borrow some. I would bring baseballs, but they hurt when they hit your head.” 

“Cool!” 

They set up a little base field, drawing lines in the dirt and placing down rocks for bases. 

“Alright, so I’m going to be the pitcher first. Whatcha gotta do is focus on the ball, and then,” He picked up the bat and swung it. 

“Ooo. What happens after that?”

“Depends on how far you swing it! If you get a home run, you can run all around the four bases!”

Harriet’s eyes lit up, and she grinned.

“Let’s get started then!”

Harriet picked up the bat, fixing her top hat on her head.

“Are you sure you wanna wear your hat? It might fall off.”

“It’s my good luck charm! Of course I’d want to!” She giggles. 

“Whatever you say! Alright, so you gotta stand on the right side. Then put the bat on the shoulder you write with!” 

Harriet did so, looking at him. He gestured a pose, and she copied the pose. 

“You ready?”

“Heck yeah!”

Duncan patted the ball into his glove, getting into a pitcher’s stance. Harriet focused, her eyes narrowing. For being a five year old and never playing this game before, she really wanted to impress her new friend. He’s… kinda the  _ only _ friend she had at the moment. 

He then threw the ball. 

Everything in that moment seemed to slow down, an inch in time. It was almost like slow-motion to Harriet, even though it was regular motion to everyone else. 

It was almost like everything except the ball was grayscale. 

Harriet swung.

_ POP. _

Harriet’s eyes widened, gaping as the ball flew off into the distance. Harriet remembered the game’s rules and started running around the bases.

“Whoa!” Duncan watched as the ball landed, bouncing until it came to a stop. “That was awesome!”

“Really?” Harriet stopped at the home base. Duncan clapped, grinning.

“Of course!”

Maeve smiled, watching from afar. She then glanced at her granddaughter, who was playing in the dirt with her dolls. 

“Arlene, don’t get too dirty. I don’t think your mother would appreciate that,” Maeve reminded. The little girl just giggled, making her dolls kiss. 

Harriet spun happily, celebrating her first perfect hit. 

“How did you even do that? You sure you’ve never played this game?”

“Yeah! It’s like… I almost focused a whole lot on the ball…”

Duncan was about to reply but then yelped, pointing behind Harriet. Harriet turned, and gasped.

“Uncle MJ!” She squealed, running over and hugging the ghost.

“Hello, Hattie,” Moonjumper greeted, hugging her back.

“You… know him?” Duncan asked, a little timid. 

“Yeah! He’s my Uncle Red! Well, his real name is Moonjumper, but that’s too long!” 

Moonjumper laughed, and Harriet made a come here motion. Moonjumper bent down, and she kissed his cheek. Moonjumper smiled, his eyes closing. 

“This is my friend, Duncan!” 

Duncan walked up, a little shy.

“Don’t worry, he’s not as scary as my papa.”

“Nice to meet you, Duncan.” Moonjumper nodded. 

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Moonjumper.” 

“Harriet?” Snatcher called, a Subconite accompanying him. 

“Oh no, it’s papa. You better go, Uncle MJ.” 

Moonjumper disappeared as Snatcher saw Harriet.

Outside of the forest.

“Harriet, what did I say about going beyond the border?!” 

“Papa, I have a friend now!” Harriet huffed. 

“A what?”

Snatcher came as close as he could to the edge of the forest without letting the sun touch him. He then crossed his arms. 

“A friend. His name is Duncan,” Harriet introduced once more, pulling him over. Duncan waved nervously, a bit intimidated by Snatcher’s appearance. Snatcher frowned. “I wanna keep seeing him! I promise I won’t go far, really!” 

“Boss, it is true she’s never really had a friend before outside of us.”

Snatcher glanced at the Subconite before glancing again at Harriet.

_ Oh no. _

She had  _ the _ look. The puppy dog eyes, with a hint of stubbornness in her features.

“No, don’t give me that look!” Snatcher groaned. “Fine, fine. But only if you stay in this area.” 

Harriet cheered and hugged him.

“Thanks, papa!”

“It’s Snatcher, kid.” Snatcher rolled his eyes, though they softened considerably. He patted her head awkwardly and she let go. “What are you even doing?”

“Baseball!” Harriet picked up the bat again. 

“Technically it’s wiffle ball, but it’s close enough,” Duncan chuckled nervously. 

“Just be home before dark,” Snatcher said with finality. Harriet nodded, and turned back to Duncan.

“Let’s do this!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh we're getting closer to the game~  
> Also yes the hat logic also works in this fic.


	12. Double Digits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Updates might become a tad bit slow, I've written up to about 15 chapters so I do want to go slower so I can get ahead again!

The big double digits.

The one milestone that takes a full decade of taking care of a child. 

Their 10th birthday. 

“Happy birthday, Harriet!” 

“Happy birthday!” 

“Yeah, happy birthday!”

“Thank you!” Harriet thanked, zooming by on her borrowed scooter.

Of course, they never knew exactly  _ when _ her birthday was. So they celebrated it on the day she was found by the river. 

She delivered the last of her mail, the Subconite giving her a flower in return.

“Aw, thanks.”

“Happy birthday! And thanks!” 

Harriet zoomed back to her little tree. Ah, yes, since she was older she got her own tree home. It was only a few yards away from Snatcher’s, and had a door instead of just walls. Though she wouldn’t lie, she spent more time at her dad’s rather than in her own room. 

She dropped off the flower into a cup, and then zoomed off to her dad’s tree. 

She got to Snatcher’s house, hopping off the scooter. 

“Hey dad!” 

She ran up and hugged him before he could protest. Snatcher sighed, but hugged her back.

“So, I can go into town with Duncan and his mom today, right? You promised!” 

“I did?” Snatcher hummed. 

“Yes, you did! It’s my first day on the town. We even made a contract on it,” She huffed, pulling out a worn piece of paper. It was slightly neater than her first contract, but she had made it when she was eight. So there was a bit of doodling and messiness here and there. But there it was, right by her signature, was his stamp. 

“Right…” Snatcher taking the contract, reading it over. “Oh, alright. But be good, and don’t-”

“‘Don’t trust any strangers.’ You’ve been telling me this for months. I’ll be back before dinner!” 

Snatcher sighed, watching as she ran out. 

“She’s growing up, aye boss?” The same Subconite who took care of her pointed out. 

“Don’t remind me.” Snatcher went back inside, grabbing a book. The Subconite looked up, frowning as he looked at the drawing a seven-year-old Harriet drew for them. It had her, Snatcher, and CC in the middle. They were holding hands with Harriet in the middle, and behind them was as many Subconites and Dwellers as she could fit. 

Harriet ran, placing her top hat on her head. Her fashion sense changed again, the cloak shorter with no hood, but still black. She also had a cute purple dress, with black pants underneath and brown boots. Her hair had gotten longer, so long in fact she kept it in a ponytail with a yellow hair tie. 

She ran out of the forest, meeting up with Duncan and his mom, Blanche. Blanche was a snowy white owl like Arlene, having blue eyes like her as well. She wore a blue button up and black pants, and held a white purse.

“Hey!” Duncan greeted. They high-fived, and Blanche smiled.

“Hello, Harriet,” She greeted. 

“Hello, Blanche!” Harriet greeted back. 

“Well, let’s go to the moon. But stay close to me, we have to get past the mafia first.” 

“Yeah, you have to pay a stupid toll,” Duncan huffed. 

Once they reached the town, Blanche held both of their hands. Harriet gazed around, a big smile on her face. Mafia Town might be, ya know, full of crooks and criminals, but Harriet was amazed nonetheless. 

“Alright, you two stay here. He might try to haggle me or something.” 

While Blanche walked over to the toll person, Duncan and Harriet sat down. 

“The moon is really cool! You’re gonna love it there; maybe you can even meet my grandpa later! He’s always busy with directing movies… This month is the annual Bird Movie Awards.”

“They literally call it the Bird Movie Awards?” Harriet giggled. 

“Well, what else would you call it?” Duncan questioned. Harriet shrugged.

“I dunno. Are your grandpa and… who was it, DJ Grooves, the only ones who make movies?”

“Nah. But Dead Bird Studios are huge in the bird world. I guess we just have a lot of people who like westerns and sci-fi films.” Duncan shrugged. 

“Hey! Let go!” A sudden high-pitched voice rang. Harriet stood up, looking around.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Let go of me, you crook!” 

“I’m not sure.”

“We should check it out!” Harriet proclaimed.

“But my mom said-” 

But Harriet was already gone. Duncan sighed, but followed her. 

A Mafioso held a red cloaked girl in his hand, who dangled from the ground. She had long blonde pigtails, a red cloak with her hood up, and strangely enough, a full mustache on her face. 

“Let me go! Let me  _ go! _ ” She cried, wiggling, trying to get out of his grasp.

“Mafia teach little girl lesson. Mafia does not like being beat on,” The Mafioso explained harshly, dangling her over the fountain. He also held a blue umbrella with yellow stars decorating it. 

“Hey! Let her go!” Harriet cried, running over. 

“Leave Mafia alone. Mafia teach little girl lesson,” The Mafia said, irritated. Harriet tried getting closer to him, only to be pushed away with his umbrella.

A quick plan came to mind, and with some strength, she pulled the umbrella out of his hand. Suddenly the Mafioso became less angry and more terrified of Harriet. He dropped the mustache girl, who just fell onto the pavement. 

“Down with the Mafia!” Harriet exclaimed, running after the Mafioso. He cried, running around the fountain. The mustache girl watched with amusement, following their movements. 

“Yeah! Get that peck neck, Hattie!” Duncan cheered. Harriet then swung the umbrella, knocking the burly man unconscious. The mustache girl jumped onto his back, a big grin on her face.

“You’re resisting the Mafia as well? Good!” She proclaimed, looking down at Harriet. Her hands were on her hips, a confident gaze on her face.

“He was bullying you. What did you do to make him so angry?”

“Not important! Anyway, who are you?”

“Um… Harriet.”

“Harriet! Nice to meet you, I’m Maria. I’m the sole resistor to those criminals! But I’ll be glad to have you on the team,” Mafia introduced, jumping off of the Mafioso. 

“I’m Duncan,” Duncan came over, greeting himself as well. “And Hattie! That was awesome!” He cheered, hugging her. Harriet laughed, hugging him back before letting go, turning back to Maria. 

“Nice to meet you both! We should meet up again sometime, and discuss ways to take down the Mafia!” 

“That would be interesting,” Harriet agreed. 

“I’m… not too sure. The Mafia don’t bother me too much,” Duncan replied. Maria glared at him before turning to Harriet.

“Whatever. But now we’re friends!” 

Harriet and Maria high-fived. 

“Duncan! Harriet! Where did you two go?!”

“That’s my mom! Well, Hattie, let’s get a move on!”

“Bye!” Harriet waved, following Duncan. 

Maria smirked, watching the two leave.

Little did they know, in just under a month, things would change in their life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Mustache Girl/MU/MG has a name. It would be unfair to give HK a name but not MU. So her name is Maria!   
> Next chapter is huge~


	13. The first time fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 months. Yeah, listen I am--or was-- a senior in high school. So the last few months became extremely hectic due to finals and the like. But I'm back! I've been writing other things for a while, however, my interests tend to shift over a long period of time. But I am determined to finish this fic. You'll just have to push through my wonky schedule.

Duncan and Harriet exited from an ice cream parlor, holding, well, ice cream. Harriet had strawberry, and Duncan had chocolate. 

“At least their ice cream doesn’t suck,” Harriet giggled. Duncan shrugged.

They were allowed to go out alone for the day, as their parents weren’t particularly hoverers. As long as they behaved, they were trusted enough. 

“Hey, we should go down to the baseball field and hit some,” Duncan offered.

“We should bring Maria along! Get some anger out. She has… a lot of anger, for the mafia,” Harriet chuckled. She recalled when she went to visit Maria and the blonde had stated they should murder the Mafia and stuff their organs in jars. She was… an interesting case.

“Yeah, we could! I could be the pitcher again.”

“Yeah! Alright, let’s go.” 

The duo began to walk down the road towards where Maria always was. But then they got close to the fountain.

“Hey, what’s that burning in the sky?” Duncan questioned.

“What?” Harriet looked to where he pointed. Her eyes widened, seeing a burning object in the atmosphere. Suddenly, an explosion occurred, streaks of light flying from the source. One in particular was…

“Look out!” 

Duncan grabbed her by the cloak, pulling her back, his hands resting on her shoulders. The object rammed into the fountain, breaking part of it. Water flowed everywhere, and Harriet nearly dropped her ice cream. They looked up again, watching as the streaks of light flew everywhere. It was almost like a meteor shower, but in the daytime.

“Whoa…” Harriet gasped, watching the objects. If it had been at nighttime, it probably would’ve been beautiful to look at. Then again, it was still very pretty. 

“What crashed into the fountain?” Duncan asked, walking over. Harriet ran over as well, digging through the rubble as Duncan held her ice cream.

A sand dial floated up from the mess, and Harriet looked at it, her lips parting. A sort of force field surrounded it and her, making everything dim except for the sand dial. She could hear Duncan, but he was muffled. 

She reached out, and touched it. 

Something inside of her rushed through. She inhaled, holding it sideways in her hands. 

“What’s that? A sand dial?” Duncan questioned. “Hey, it has your top hat on it.”

“It does…” Harriet rubbed her fingers across it, feeling some sort of powerful energy surge through her from her head to toes. “It feels… familiar.”

“Well, yeah, it’s a sand dial.”

“No! I-I mean it feels like I’ve… seen this before. But I don’t know where. Like this exact sort of sand dial.” 

Duncan frowned, watching as Harriet stare at it. 

“Well, there’s more. If those lights were any indication.” 

“We should look for them!” 

“But… how?”

Harriet glanced down at the sand dial again and smiled.

“It’s a good thing I’m good at science and math. Come on!” 

For the next couple of hours, Harriet studied the sand dial. She watched as the sand tilted from one place to another. Duncan watched, helping her get some supplies. Harriet then began to build a tiny contraption, using some of the essence from the sand dial and an old barcode scanner. 

At one point Duncan accidentally dropped the time piece, however. It shattered, sand and glass going everywhere

“Duncan-!” 

They froze, and then all of a sudden the time piece was fixed.

“Whoa…” They both muttered. 

“We just went back in time!” Duncan cried

“I noticed!” Harriet quipped, picking up the time piece.

Some few odd hours later, and the device began to work. Tiny little bloops emitted from it occasionally, and it showed a diagram of the world. 

“Yes! This device will help us!” Harriet scanned the sand dial, and dots lit up all over the screen. “We can start tomorrow,” Harriet proclaimed. 

“Oh, tomorrow? Harriet, I have a game tomorrow…” 

Harriet frowned. 

“Oh… Well, that’s alright! Really, beat them good, ok? I can do this by myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Knock ‘em dead.” She grinned. 

“If you’re so sure.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“I am! Really! Go home, I’ve gotta get home for dinner.” She looked up, seeing the sun beginning to set.

“Alright, alright. See you later, Hattie!” Duncan ran off. Harriet waved weakly, before running towards Subcon forest. She almost tripped on an obstacle, making her bounce to a stop. 

“What?” 

A ball of yarn lied, all red with white wings coming out of it. She picked it up, spinning it around in her hands. 

“Never seen a ball of yarn like this before… Eh!” She pocketed it, and continued running home. She smiled, recognizing the change the moment she entered the forest. Avoiding her dad’s traps, she ran to his tree room. 

“Sweets!” CC’s voice rang, and Harriet smiled wide.

“Cat!” Harriet greeted, hugging her. The tabby had a cauldron, within it was some sort of soup. “Where’s papa?”

“Someone disturbing the peace, pesky fire spirits, etcetera. He went on and on. I let him go to do what he needs to.” 

“I see. That’s not unusual of him,” Harriet giggled. CC smiled, adding some spices to the soup.

“Dinner’s almost ready. Go get a bowl and silverware for everyone.”

“Aye, aye!” Harriet ran over to her room, opening a cabinet full of dishes. She pulled over a stool and jumped on it, carefully pulling out the three bowls. She then opened a drawer, pulling out three spoons. She ran back over, being careful to not drop the bowls. 

“Papa!” She greeted, seeing a satisfied Snatcher. He was carrying some poor soul’s… soul, in his claws. Harriet gave the things to CC before running over and hugging him. He was now in human form, she only reached his waist. Snatcher patted her head, puffing a cheek out. 

“It’s Snatcher,” He reminded, though there was no venom in his tone. CC laughed at this, taking the ladle and serving up the soup.

“Classic chicken noodle!” CC announced, giving a bowl to both Snatcher and Harriet. Harriet began to eat immediately, not caring if it just came off the fire. 

“So, did you have fun with Duncan today?” CC asked, waiting for her’s to cool.

“Yep! We had ice cream and…” Harriet trailed off. Should she tell them about the sand dial, and her odd connection with it?

“And?” Snatcher inquired, hesitantly taking in a spoonful of soup. 

“Nothing else! Just played baseball,” Harriet shrugged. 

“Are you lying?” Snatcher asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No. We really did! You can even ask him,” She huffed stubbornly. Snatcher frowned, but didn’t pry anymore. 

The rest of the dinner was silent, CC sensing the tense atmosphere. 

“Um… So, what are you doing tomorrow?” she asked around the end. 

“I’m gonna go… watch Duncan’s baseball game! It’s a big one!” Harriet emphasised with her arms, making them go wide. She finished the last of her soup and gave the bowl to CC. “I’m gonna go get some sleep!” She then dashed off. Snatcher’s face fell, watching her go to her tree.

“She doesn’t sleep this early,” Snatcher pointed out. CC nodded.

“She seemed kinda on edge. Maybe you should go talk to her. I’ll pack up and get going.”

Snatcher nodded, placing his bowl on the ground and he trailed after her. He knocked on her door, forming into his phantom form.

“J-just a minute!” 

Harriet hurriedly put the scanner away, making sure the sand dial was hidden. She walked over to the door, opening it. Snatcher shadowed along the wall, sitting down on her bed after getting off. 

“Is something wrong, Harriet?” he got to the point. Harriet sat next to him, shaking her head.

“No, really. Everything’s fine.”

“Are you sure? I’m… not exactly the best person to talk about things, but I can still-”

“Dad, really. We just had ice cream, and hit some balls down at the park. You know if I had something on my mind… I’d tell you…” Harriet felt guilt settle in. But she just had the overwhelming feeling to keep it secret, at least, for now. 

Snatcher sighed, closing his eyes. 

“If someone hurt you, you know I’d-”

“Dad!” Harriet groaned. “Seriously, just a normal day in the dynamic duo’s life.” She waved it off. “Now come on, I wanna get my pajamas on.” She hugged him. Snatcher sighed again, but hugged her back. Harriet even managed to lean up enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. Snatcher rolled his eyes, though his smile turned more soft. 

“Alright, alright. I gotta go see about a contractor anyway.”

“Have fun with that. And don’t make them do too much!”

Snatcher let out a short laugh. He left, and Harriet closed the door behind him. She sighed, going back over and pulling out the scanner again.

“Alright, I’ll focus on Mafia Town for now, then work my way around…” She mumbled. “I should also figure out a place to hide all these… time pieces. Yes, that’s what I’ll call them.”

Snatcher glanced back at her room, worried. But he shook the worry off, ducking into a shadow. 

He just had to trust her, at least for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when the next chapter will be out, as I want to finish the current chapter I'm writing. I also get burnout, which unfortunately happened for this fic. I wrote too much in a short span of time, and because of that I got writers block and burnout from it all. But trust me, I'll keep on writing!


	14. TNT Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting to get my muse back! Yeet

The next day came quickly and Harriet got up while fog still hung in the air. She snuck out, fully dressed with a messenger bag around her shoulders. Leaving a note for Snatcher saying she went out early to meet up with Duncan and Maria, she tiptoed out of the woods. 

After taking a few shortcuts, she finally arrived at Mafia Town. She turned on the barcode scanner, letting it calibrate as she walked around. It finally blipped, showing off a few time pieces. She pulled her umbrella out of the bag, and started exploring. 

“Another yarn ball,” She hummed, picking it up. It was the same from yesterday, a red yarn ball with white wings peeking out. She pushed it into her bag, and kept walking. She sped up the wall, jumping onto a pipe before a tiny black bird could hit her. She then jumped up onto a concrete road, finding a… man?

He twitched and glitched, holding his staff tightly. He was wearing some sort of weird mask, and could barely hold still in all. She cautiously trudged over to him, and he spoke first.

“Hi there, young one.” His voice was smooth yet mysterious, and his voice wavered at times. “I am from a far away land I’ve seen every corner of the earth, and now I sell tiny pieces of my discoveries,” He explained. Harriet listened, though was a little unnerved. Sure, she grew up with creepy things all her life, but she’s never met someone like this. “You may call me the Badge Seller, for I sell and trade badges. I can provide you with strong abilities and upgrades to your hat… If you have money, of course.”

He brought out three pins, one with a magnet on it, another with a helicopter propeller and a picture of her umbrella, and lastly… a speech bubble with random symbols in it?  

Her hand hovered over the magnet one, and the badge seller nodded.

“You’ll be able to attract nearby collectables with this Item Magnet Badge. Fifty pons.”

She moved her hand over the umbrella one.

“This Hover Badge helps you pull out your umbrella before a deadly impact. One-hundred pons.”

She then moved her hand over the speech bubble one.

“With this Mumble Badge, you won’t be able to hear anyone, just incoherent mumbling! Eight-hundred pons.”

Harriet looked at him shocked, and glanced at the last too. She swiped the magnet one, pinning it on her hat and giving him fifty pons. 

“I’ll be back later for the umbrella one!” Harriet proclaimed. The Badge Seller merely nodded, and put the two pins away. Harriet left, running towards the plaza. As she got closer, she could hear Maria’s voice yelling in protest.

“Your cooking is bad and you’re a bad person! Now let me go!” She cried, and Harriet gasped at the sight. She was wiggling in a Mafioso’s hand, and said Mafioso was standing on stacks of tnt barrels. Other Mafioso were dancing around on a lower layer of the barrels. One noticed her, and turned to her.

“Hey! Child! Shoo! Mafia can’t have child witness when Mafia teaching lesson,” He ordered. Harriet just stood there, staring at him for a few seconds. A mischievous plan came to fruition, and she smirked. She stuck her tongue out at him, blowing a raspberry. “This awkward for Mafia! Mafia not sure what to do.”

“Boss, what do we do with eyewitness?” The other Mafioso asked, still dancing around.

“Teach her lesson, boys!” The one holding Maria ordered.

“Come to papa Mafia!” One jumped off, chasing her. She turned, smacking him with her umbrella. In a strange twist of events he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving pons behind. The magnet pin pulled the pons closer. Harriet was confused at first but decided not to question it. 

“Why you little-!” The other came after her, and like the other Mafioso when she smacked him a bunch he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. 

“No child will be in the way of Mafia!” The last Mafioso proclaimed, jumping down from the barrels.  

“Let go of my friend!” Harriet angrily ordered. 

Once the last on the lower levels was defeated, the mafia in charge yelled.

“Enough! Mafia won’t bow to little girl! Prepare to feel Mafia’s wrath!!”

Harriet looked confused for a second only to jump out of the way of a spiky barrel. As the Mafioso taunted her, she kept dodging the barrels, narrowly missing a few. She kept going back and forth, ducking every time one went over her head.

“This lead nowhere! Mafia need take care of this Mafia style!” He growled. “Prepare to feel what Mafia do to old ladies!”

He then walked down, and Harriet began to fight him. He became red sometimes, but she otherwise headbutted him into the sky. 

_ Literally. _

She watched with amusement as the Mafia goon flew off, with even a bright light and ‘ding’ to seal it. 

Collecting the pons the Mafia dropped, suddenly the world got dark again. She looked up, gasping as a time piece came out of nowhere. She admired it for a moment, a quiet ticking sound coming from it. 

She jumped up the barrels and grabbed it, the black void becoming reality again. She stuffed it into her messenger bag, making sure it didn’t break.

“Pfft. Can you believe them? What a bunch of losers.” Maria wittly remarked as Harriet climbed down. 

“You alright?” Harriet asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just scuffled.” Maria waved her off. “That thing you grabbed there… Are you collecting them? Because I know where there’s more of them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they’ve been raining from the sky for a while. I’ve seen the goons bring them to their headquarters way up there,” Maria pointed out. She then gasped, a big grin on her face. “We should go up there and get that junk! It’ll be fun! I’ll take any opportunity that involves messing up the Mafia!”

Harriet snorted, crossing her arms.

“You with me, Hattie?”

“Heck yeah!”

They high fived to seal the deal. 

* * *

Later that night, Harriet wandered into her room, a small yawn escaping her lips. She yelped, Maria finishing up a diagram on a chalkboard that she had.

“Mari-A-?!” Maria pulled Harriet over to the bed, sitting her down and presenting the diagram. 

“Are you ready to take down some Mafia?! Let’s do it! I’m psyched!” She said with a cheerful giggle. There was a big “MASTER PLAN” in white chalk. Harriet looked curiously, giving Maria a questioning gaze. “Let’s go over the plan! All assaults need a good plan, or it’ll be a flop!” She flipped the chalkboard, making it spin. It showed a picture of Maria choking a Mafia goon, and Harriet looked with a mix of amusement and concern. “First, we strangle them! Choke ‘em and watch ‘em beg for mercy! That’ll show ‘em!” 

Maria sighed.

“No, strangling is too kind.” She spun the board again, now with a picture of Maria curb stomping a Mafia goon and showed an arrow pointing to organs in a jar. Harriet winced at that. “We smash them together into mush, and put their remains in a jar! Then we sell the jar for pocket money! That’ll be the ultimate salt in the wound!”

“Right…” Harriet mumbled, making Maria grin. 

“Ahem, but first, we have to make it through their Mafia HQ,” She explained. “Once we find and dethrone the Mafia Boss, the rest will follow. Then our mush and jar party will be no problem!”

“Are you sure this is uh, sanitarily safe?” Harriet chuckled nervously.

“Of course! Ugh, don’t worry about the details.” She waved her off. “Now, we’ve got to get you geared up! Your hat is basic, and we don’t do basic in this gang!”

“Hey!” Harriet held the brim of her hat. But Maria ignored her, spinning the chalkboard once more. Now it showed Harriet with a yarn ball.

“Yarn can be found all around Mafia Town. Apparently there was some sort of yarn factory explosion or whatever and they haven’t bothered to pick up the balls. You can use them to stitch new hats if you’re crafty, which I’m sure is the case.” Maria eyed a knitted scarf, which was wrapped around Harriet’s headboard on her bed. “I’ve collected one for you!” 

Maria threw the yarn at Harriet, who caught it easily. The same red string with white wings sticking out like before. Huh. She placed it down on the bed. 

“You need more yarn for some hats than others. I guess being creative isn’t free, huh?” Harriet shrugged. “So keep an eye out for yarn!”

Another spin. Maria doing a thumbs up.

“Now you’re a killing machine! Let’s go get them soon!” Maria left as soon as she came after that. Harriet watched curiously, wondering how she was dodging all her dad’s traps so easily. 

“Harriet?” Snatcher called. 

“Coming, papa!” 

This would be an interesting adventure, no doubt. Even if it was strange.

She just hoped she would figure out why she was attracted to these time pieces soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to come out! Haha


	15. Clocktowers and Aliens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully chapters become more frequent. My writing muse is starting to come back, though this also means in later chapters, I will be combining certain events together. I'll explain a little more at the end. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Harriet played with her food as she sat at the table, staying silent. Later in the night, she would be helping Maria break into the Mafia HQ. It made her nervous, breaking into a place with so many brutes. She knew she was strong, but it was still nerve wracking. 

“Kiddo?”

Her dad broke her out of her deep thinking, her fork scraping particularly loudly. She winced, glancing over at him. 

“Y-yeah dad?” her voice broke, and she cleared her throat. Snatcher frowned, crossing his arms. 

“I didn’t make dinner for no reason you know,” He huffed. She grinned sheepishly. 

“Sorry, I’ve just been, um, distracted.”

“Distracted? Why, Duncan lose?”

“No! No, he won.” She hoped. “There’s uh… a cosmic event! A cosmic event, for the sun!”

“What’s going on with the sun?” Snatcher asked, genuinely curious. 

“Um, a solar flare! A big one. Might cut power if we’re not careful. But it won’t happen for a little longer.”

“I see… How’d you figure that?”

“Tracking it, and whatnot,” She chuckled nervously, taking a bite of her carrots. Snatcher put his book down, and sat down on the other side of Harriet. 

“Harriet, if there’s-”

“No! No, papa, really. I’m fine. I’m just excited and nervous to find out what this solar flare will be like.” Harriet waved him off, eating more of her dinner.

“If you say so. Tell me when it happens then, so I can prepare the Subconites.”

“Right, papa.” 

Harriet quickly finished her dinner, standing up and hopping off the chair. 

“I gotta go meet up with Maria! I’ll be back before bedtime!”

“I-”

“And dad?”

He stopped his sentence, looking defeated.

“Can you read to me tonight? Like you used to?”

Snatcher smiled softly.

“Sure, kiddo.”

* * *

Harriet ran into town, raincoat in her bag as she heard it would rain later. She paused, sitting down for a moment.

“How many yarn will it take to stitch a new hat?” she wondered. She grabbed two of the white wing yarn, and gasped, the tip of the umbrella glowing. She threw the yarn up, and a hat popped out of the gray smoke. 

“Ooh sweet! Didn’t know this was a magic umbrella!” she grinned, admiring the hat. It was a red visor with white wings, the material having a more hard feel than yarn. She carefully placed her top hat into her bag, placing the visor on her head. A perfect fit. 

Suddenly, a burst of adrenaline pumped through her veins. She didn’t know where it came from, only that it existed. She let her feet carry her, going at a very fast pace without getting tired. She yelped, ramming into a blue vault. She rubbed her nose, grumbling to herself. Wait, did the vault shoot out… lights? 

Three lights flew out, lighting three paths. She followed one close by, finding a floating blue ticket of some sort. She gripped it, suddenly understanding. 

“Maybe if I get all the tickets…” She mumbled, then grinned. Picking up a yarn on the way to the second code, she managed to find all three. She brought them back over to the safe, unlocking it. Pons flew out, and she put them all in her pocket. “Sweet!”

Dodging some of those little black crows, she suddenly found herself in front of a pipe after jumping on a balloon. She gasped softly; what was that blue orb?

It floated silently, stuck in place, yellow lights swirling around it. 

It almost felt… familiar. But she couldn’t place where she’s seen it before. Just that in her past it… existed.

She reached out between the bars, her fingers waving in a motion. She was drawn to it. A lot. The way it beckoned her…

She touched it.

Suddenly, everything froze. Her eyes widened, the glowing orb suddenly bursting. Time reversed, then stopped. She screamed, falling from a ridiculous height. Her cloak went up into her face, and she tried pushing it down. Bubbles were falling from her mouth as she gave up on the cloak and held onto her hat. Then, she landed. Her cloak floated down softly, like she was… underwater?

A soft melody. She  _ knew _ that melody… But from what..?

She glanced around, gasping as she saw clock towers and were those… whales?!

Platforms slid in and out of a wall, and the curiosity festered as she began to climb them. Being careful not to jump onto one that slipped back into the wall, she finally ran up the wall and jumped over. The view was gorgeous. She balanced across a thin bridge, taking in the blue and white architecture. 

She slid down a slant, and began to climb similar sliding platforms. She froze, seeing the next platform continuously rotating. She jumped once she was ready, making sure to stay on the top. 

A time piece…?

She ran, jumping up gears. She finally got to the top, and jumped up, the time piece glowing. She blinked, and then found herself at the pipe again. The orb was gone, and she held the sand dial in her hand. 

“Whoa…” She mumbled, putting the piece into her bag. “That was beautiful…” She mumbled. 

Dark clouds began to roll in, and she winced as thunder boomed. It was like they were racehorses, coming in at a ridiculous speed. She ducked into the pipe a bit, watching as lightning crackled and rain began to pour. She gulped, pulling out her yellow raincoat. She slipped it on, and jumped down from the pipe.

She ran around for a bit, killing some of the tiny black crows and avoiding Mafioso. She also collected some yarn- wait.

“This one is purple and yellow…” She picked it up, watching as it emitted a weird bubbling substance. She placed it in her bag, and kept running with her visor on. She then reached the place where The Badge Seller was.

“Please disregard my twitchy behavior. My body has been to places that have left a... permanent mark.” Harriet gave him a look before buying the umbrella badge. After giving him the pons and yelling a “Smell ya later!” she kept running. 

She finally reached a building, but before she could walk further, she yelped. 

A huge mud puddle was in her way, making her all muddy and gross feeling. She groaned; now she’d have to take a bath when she got home. She stretched out her arms, the thick mud getting in her eyes. She walked out from behind the tower, grumbling as she saw a Mafioso holding a time piece. She trudged over, grumbling still.

“What the… huh?!” He yelled. She gave him a confused look. “It’s… It’s slimy space alien!” he shrieked. “Mafia saw spaceship! Mafia knew all along! Mafia is being invaded by aliens!” he then screamed, shaking and trembling like a kitten in a storm drain. Harriet watched in amusement, deciding to humor him. She shifted on her feet, making grumbling sounds. A flash of lightning went off nearby, and the man dropped some pons. She took them and carefully placed them into her bag, and then ran after the Mafioso. 

She jumped over the gap, flipping in the air to double jump. Physics, am I right?

Harriet ran up to him again, and he let out a girly scream and dropped more pons. She pocketed them once more and jumped on pipes. She then jumped over to the box he climbed on to, doing a dive to the box. He yelped, dropping more pons as he jumped away. 

Harriet groaned, pocketing them and chasing after him once more. She kept going, until finally reaching one part. 

The Mafioso panted, going on his hands and knees. 

“Leave Mafia alone, you monster! Here, if Mafia give you this, will you go away?”

The dark void again. Harriet listened to the ticking for a moment, a small smile growing on her face. She then grabbed it. She then left the Mafioso, and jumped into the ocean for a moment. Immediately the mud washed away, and she sighed in relief. She climbed out, wringing out her clothes and hair. She’d better put on fresh clothes the moment she gets home.

She ran up the building again, this time avoiding the mud puddle. 

“This is what Maria talked about, right?” She mumbled, touching the cannon gingerly. She then climbed into it, and it tilted back and shot her off into the air. She screamed, closing her eyes. 

Please land!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so what I mean is that I'm going to be combining game chapters into one big chapter. For example, Grooves movies will be in one chapter, Conductor's the same, and Alpine skyline will be unfortunately skipped until the end, as I will describe Alpine at night only. I also won't be describing all rifts, unless they are purple. They will just be mentioned in passing. Otherwise, the purple ones will be short, yes, but I will still describe the pictures at the end and such. They'll mostly be footnotes in chapters. 
> 
> I never meant for this story to be a whole retelling/novelization of the game of course. I am terrible at that, and plus someone has done it already and it's much better than what I can do haha (Finding Home by Imagigamegirl on fanfiction.net, btw). That's why I've decided to do this more condensed version of the game, as Family au won't focus much on the game after the arc is done. Of course it won't be forgotten, but, well... You'll just have to wait and see what happens huh?
> 
> Can't wait for Sleepy Subcon... ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Once again thanks to my discord friends for helping me make this happen. It's been a wild ride. I hope I can do every character justice!


End file.
